CrossFit gyms is a brand-name exercise program that emphasizes high-intensity, continuously diversified functional exercises. Greg Glassman created the technique, and he and Lauren Jenai launched CrossFit in 2000, with CrossFit gyms as its registered brand. As of 2022, the company has around 12,000 connected gyms in more than 150 countries, with less than half of those in the US, making it what has been called the largest fitness chain in the world.
With components from Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, kettlebell lifting, callisthenics, strongman, and other activities, CrossFit is marketed as a competitive fitness activity as well as a philosophy of physical exercise. According to CrossFit gyms, its training regimen can best prepare its participants for potential “unknown” and “unknowable” events, as well as any physical emergency. Members of CrossFit gyms -affiliated gyms and those who perform daily workouts (often referred to as “WODs” or “Workouts of the Day”) engage in it.
Research shows that CrossFit gyms can improve body composition and a variety of physical fitness metrics, as well as the participants’ social lives and mental health. Although a review article in the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation concluded that “the risk of injury from participation in CrossFit gyms is comparable to or lower than some common forms of exercise or strength training,” CrossFit gyms have been criticized for causing more injuries than other sports like weightlifting. Its injury rates and health benefits are found to be comparable to those of other exercise regimens. Additionally, there are worries that its approach could result in exertional rhabdomyolysis. This potentially fatal illness is also present in different sports as a result of severe effort, causing muscular breakdown.
CrossFit gyms, which stands for cross-discipline fitness, was initially established as a business in 1996 under the name Cross-Fit. Former gymnast Greg Glassman combined aspects of weightlifting and gymnastics to develop his first CrossFit-style workout at the age of 16. He created a program called Fran that combined pull-ups with thrusters, which are a front squat and push press combo. In 2000, Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai founded CrossFit, Inc. In 2001, they created a gym in Santa Cruz, California, and shared their routines online for their patrons. People in the military, police, and fire departments swiftly adopted these workouts.
The first affiliated gym (also known as a “box”), CrossFit Gyms North in Seattle, Washington, was established in 2002 after users of Glassman’s online postings showed an interest in formally adopting his exercises into their training routine. Using his methods, Glassman started creating a curriculum to train and certify gym owners and coaches. CrossFit gym coaches include Bob Harper, John Welbourn, and Louie Simmons.
CrossFit-affiliated gyms increased rapidly, from 13 in 2005 to 8,000 in 2013 and over 13,000 in 2016. In 162 countries, there were over 15,500 CrossFit gyms by 2018.
It is thought to have between two and five million members globally. However, about 20% of its gyms (about 25% in the US) had to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The disaffiliations brought on by the 2020 Glassman scandal further decreased the number of paid affiliations to 9,400 at the beginning of 2021. By early 2022, the number had recovered to about 12,500, including affiliates that did not pay (10,800 paying). Europe saw rapid expansion, with France having the most CrossFit gyms outside of the US.
In 2012, following his divorce from Jenai, Glassman gained total control of the business. Following the divorce settlement, Jenai attempted to sell an investment firm her 50% stake in the industry.
Following the controversy over Glassman’s remarks on George Floyd’s death, it was revealed on June 24, 2020, that he was selling the business to Eric Roza, the former CEO of Datalogix, in collaboration with investment firm Berkshire Partners. Following the sale’s completion in July, Roza took over as CEO. CrossFit gyms announced a building lease for its Boulder headquarters at the end of November. CrossFit Gyms changed its legal status to LLC at the end of 2020.[Reference required] In February 2022, Roza resigned as CrossFit’s CEO, and in August 2022, Don Faul assumed the position.
Overview of the Approach
CrossFitters stepping up (right) and box jumping (left)
CrossFit is a strength, conditioning, and general fitness program that primarily consists of a combination of bodyweight exercises and aerobic (cardio) activities.
The strength and conditioning program offered by CrossFit gyms is defined as “constantly diverse functional movements completed at high intensity across broad time and modal domains”; its goal is to increase participants’ work capacity in various domains to enhance their overall fitness. Cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy are the 10 domains or components of physical fitness, according to CrossFit.
In order to achieve the general physical preparedness needed for any sport, CrossFit gyms suggest that nutrition should be the cornerstone of fitness. From there, metabolic conditioning can enhance cardiovascular efficiency, gymnastics can develop an athlete’s spatial awareness and body control, and weightlifting and throwing can help them better control external objects.
Crossfit emphasizes functional movements—movements that are deemed necessary and natural for everyday use. It promotes intense training because it thinks that it can provide the desired effect more quickly, that lifting heavier weights can help you gain strength, and that doing more repetitions of an exercise will help you get more stamina and endurance. It also holds that rather than focusing just on mastering a single activity, physical training should be routinely changed to reach a general level of fitness.
WODs
A popular barbell exercise in CrossFit gyms is the thruster, which consists of an overhead press and a front squat.
“Workout of the Day” (WOD) is the acronym for the CrossFit gym workout. Movements from one or more of the three modalities may be combined in each WOD:
The WOD is “Rx’d” (for “as prescribed”) if it is carried out exactly as specified. However, “scaling” refers to modifying the WOD’s volume, intensity, or movements to fit the participants’ experience, aptitude, physical limits, or time constraints. In scaling, the weights, time, and repetitions may be decreased, and the movements may be changed to be simpler to execute with comparable movement patterns while preserving the desired stimulus. People of various ages and skill levels can engage in the workout thanks to scaling.
Because CrossFit-affiliated gyms, or “boxes,” have a lot of latitude in how their programs are set up, there may be significant variations between them. A warm-up, a 10- to 30-minute WOD, and a cool-down/stretching/recovery session are commonly included in an hour-long class. Before the WOD, several gyms additionally provide skill development or strength-focused exercise. However, the majority of athletes are encouraged by CrossFit gyms to put intensity over extra programming or strength training. To promote competition and monitor personal development, performance on each WOD may be graded and/or ranked. Some affiliates provide extra classes that are not focused on a WOD, including Olympic weightlifting. Many provide introductory or on-ramp courses for novices to teach the core CrossFit workouts.
Barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, rope climbs, pull-up bars, jump ropes, kettlebells, medicine balls, plyo boxes, resistance bands, rowing machines, exercise cycles, SkiErg, and different mats are just a few of the equipment used at CrossFit facilities. Using categories and exercises like callisthenics, Olympic-style weightlifting, powerlifting, strongman-style competitions, plyometrics, bodyweight exercises, indoor rowing, aerobic exercise, running, and swimming, CrossFit focuses on “constantly varied high-intensity functional movement”.
Since 2001, CrossFit gyms have made a daily WOD available to the public. Additionally, since 2021, it has provided its associated gyms with a comprehensive class plan that includes warm-up, workout, scaling choices, and other tools through CrossFit gyms Affiliate Programming (CAP). Additionally, individuals and connected gyms can develop their training using independent programming or the basic concept of CrossFit.
Thousands of private affiliated gyms, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and military groups, such as the Royal Danish Life Guards, use the CrossFit gyms methodology. Some high school physical education teachers in the United States and Canada, high school and college sports teams, and the Miami Marlins also use it.
Since HIIT topped a global evaluation of fitness trends conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in 2013, its popularity has been primarily linked to the growth of CrossFit. Additionally, it was the most popular trend in 2018 and continued to rank in the top 5 until 2021. Due to its popularity, several HIIT-based gym franchises, including F45 and Orangetheory, have emerged.
CrossFit’s three primary revenue streams are sport, education, and affiliation. For a yearly fee, CrossFit gyms grant affiliated gyms a license to use the CrossFit name. The affiliation cost was fixed at US$3,000 annually, and it remained that way until 2024 when it was increased to $4,500. Those who work in law enforcement, the military, prisons, schools, and colleges are exempt from the affiliation fee. CrossFit gyms have total operational autonomy after fulfilling the affiliation standards, which sets them apart from franchises. Over 15,000 CrossFit gym affiliates, including non-paying ones, were active in 162 countries at its height in 2018. By 2024, there will be more than 11,000 paying affiliates.
